Sofia Panayiotaki

Entrepreneurship, travel and an intrinsic, inquisitive nature have always been the pillars of Sofia’s extensive career history. To start, Sofia earned a leading role as a broadcast journalist breaking news stories in Japan, Greece and the UK. Working with some of the biggest media outlets in the world, including REUTERS, BBC and NHK, Sofia managed her position both in front and behind the camera for over two decades. During this time, she also coordinated the international broadcasting of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games in HD.

From there, Sofia set up the global production house NEEDaFIXER using her first-hand knowledge of the media industry. NEEDaFIXER now produces more than 300 films, documentaries, television shows and commercials annually.

In addition to her media background, Sofia chaired the European Travel Commission in Asia for three years, overseeing the strategies and marketing campaigns of 28 European countries. She then spent seven years as the Head of the Greek National Tourism Organisation in Japan and the UK.

Capitalising on her love of travel, Sofia established PR MEDIACO, a leading UK- based travel PR and communications agency specialising in destination branding and marketing. As the Managing Director of PR MEDIACO, Sofia continues to produce consistent and sustainable results for tourism boards, hotels, travel leisure parks and consumer brands worldwide.

Educated in the universities of Athens (Greece), Leuven (Belgium) and Nagoya (Japan), Sofia holds a Master’s Degree with distinction on International Sustainable Development.

With five languages in the bank (English, Greek, Japanese, French and Italian), Sofia is a regular speaker at travel trade exhibitions and international conferences around the world.